Online Job Fairs: Why Employers Should Go Virtual
2020 has been one of the most stressful years for the global economy since the 2008 recession, and the current job market poses a unique challenge for everyone. One test that companies and organizations across the world faced was talent acquisition, as hiring froze across industries because of a lack of connectivity. However, employers found a new way to connect with job-seekers, with the recruiting, hiring, and onboarding process having gone entirely virtual. Now, it seems there is no looking back, with the widely-agreed consensus being that virtual job fairs have not only allowed businesses to survive, but also thrive during the pandemic.
In an increasingly ‘digital-first world, hosting online job fairs seems to be the trend in the post-pandemic era, with some major corporations like 3M, Microsoft, Amazon, Cisco and IBM actively participating in virtual hiring to reach and hire candidates.
In fact, a survey by Gartner that involved 334 human resource leaders recently found that 86% of organizations are incorporating new virtual technology to interview candidates and to onboard new employees.
What Is A Virtual Job Fair?
An Online Job Fair is a job fair that is held in a virtual environment, where employers and job seekers meet and discuss employment opportunities, effectively transcending geographical barriers.
It allows employers and job-seekers to network with each other, share resumes and job descriptions, have face-to-face interactions, schedule interviews and more. It, therefore, enables both employees and employers to collaborate on a platform.
Features Of A Virtual Job Fair
While having talent from across the world on your online job fair is one thing, keeping them hooked to the event is another. It is vital to ensure that both employers and the attendees of the event have the right tools and features at their disposal to ensure a successful online job fair.
Here are a few features that ensure the success of a virtual job fair.
Employer Dashboard
From here, employers can control, manage, and modify different aspects of their 3D booth.
Employer Booth
This is an exclusive virtual space for the employers from where they can talk about their company, view applicants, schedule interviews and upload job descriptions.
Interview Scheduler
Using this feature, employers can schedule audio/video calls with selected candidates instantly on the platform, eliminating the hassles of sharing links via emails.
Meeting Rooms
It allows employers and job-seekers to interact with each other effectively with the aid of audio/video calls and chat tools.
Job Boards
It is a virtual board where employers can update open positions, view applicants and connect with interested candidates.
Why Employers Should Go Virtual
With this pandemic, what employers have realised is that Online Job Fairs not only serve as an alternative for live job fairs but in fact offer distinct advantages that make them a great replacement.
With exponential growth in connected devices in recent times, online job fairs offer a raft of advantages that give them the edge over live events. Here are a few of them:
Saves Costs For Recruiters
If there is one takeaway from the past 2 years for the events industry, it is that you don’t have to spend millions of dollars to host events. Live events cost a fortune, with costs coming in from logistics, accommodations, technical assistance, maintenance to name a few.
With online job fairs, organizers can afford to tighten their belts, as they can save millions of dollars, considering organizers don’t have to worry about the aforementioned factors. Also, not to mention, even participants of the event save up on travel costs, making it a win-win situation for everyone concerned.
Greater Reach
Today’s technologies offer enhanced accessibility to everyone. And in the era of physical distancing, digital technologies have come in all the handier.
Traditionally, employers were restricted to a geographical barrier, meaning they couldn’t scout for talent outside a certain radius. But with online job fairs, talent acquisition has taken a shape of its own, enabling recruiters to expand their search for high-quality applicant talent beyond geographical boundaries.
Furthermore, with this extended reachability, there is a clear indication that the hiring process has sped up, with employers being able to carry out the process on one unified platform.
Eco-Friendly
This is perhaps the most under-rated advantage of hosting events digitally. Carbon emissions in the world have reached a record high in recent years, and hosting live job fairs only adds to the carbon footprint. On the other hand, hosting an online job fair online can effectively eliminate most of the waste and carbon emissions of an in-person event, paving way for a green and sustainable future.
Virtual Job Fair Example
Here is a snip of a virtual job fair we had hosted for Lingua Talent – a talent management and a leading global language community-based in Cairo, hosted their first-ever Languages and Tourism Virtual Job Fair.
The power-packed event saw features such as exhibition hall, exhibitor booths, resource bag and Live Q&A on full display.
The job fair, which was sponsored and participated by Vodafone, Dell Technologies and Infomineo, enabled students and employers to meet one another, forge professional relationships, and discuss potential job opportunities.
The virtual job fair was successful with 2000+ people attending the event, and more than 800 employment opportunities were discussed between the employers and employees. Check out the full case study here or watch the platform walkthrough of the event below.
About Samaaro
Samaaro is a powerful, customizable & the Best Virtual Event Platform that organizations around the globe have leveraged to host scalable and engaging events. Our reputed clients have hosted Virtual Exhibitions, Virtual Tradeshows, Virtual summits, Virtual trade shows, Virtual fairs, Virtual conferences, Virtual awards ceremonies, and more on Samaaro. With a plethora of features, such as a powerful analytics dashboard, one-on-one and group chats/video calls, custom software integrations and more, Samaaro empowers you to host impactful virtual events that effectively connect you with your global audience and achieve business milestones.
